serving the convention community since 2007.

While the official site has not yet been updated with vote totals (not surprisingly as it’s the middle of the night where the webmaster is), the winner of the current Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund election has been revealed: Jacqueline Monahan!

NEW YORK and NEW ORLEANS, December 8, 2011 – Stan Lee, the legendary comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, and current Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of POW! Entertainment, today announced that he will make a special appearance at Wizard World New Orleans Comic Con, January 28-29, 2012, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Lee, a member of both the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame, will be on site on Saturday, Jan. 28 to meet fans, sign autographs and pose for photographs. Special VIP packages will be available.

Lee, recognized as the creative force that brought Marvel Entertainment, LLC to the forefront of the comic publishing industry, is the co-creator of Spider-Man*, The Incredible Hulk*, X-Men*, The Fantastic Four*, Iron Man*, Daredevil*, Silver Surfer*, Dr. Strange* as well as hundreds of others characters and currently serves as the Chairman Emeritus of Marvel.

In 2001, Lee co-founded POW! Entertainment, where he currently serves as Chairman and Chief Creative Officer. Most recently, the company partnered with Michael Eisner’s Vuguru to produce original digital content and also announced two projects with 1821 Comics: Stan Lee’s Kid Universe, a partnership to produce content for young fans, and a graphic novel entitled Romeo and Juliet: The War, a reimagining of the classic tale 200 years in the future. Additionally, POW! is developing 2 live action shows and their first non-American superhero in order to provide a number of new superheroes across various platforms for a new generation of fans.

“Stan Lee is responsible for so many of the iconic characters who have shaped comic books and films for decades, and we are extremely honored and thrilled that he will be attending New Orleans Comic Con next month,” said John Macaluso, Wizard World Board of Directors member. “Fans in Louisiana and throughout the Southeast will be excited to take advantage of this unique opportunity to meet this legendary figure.”

Among the standout celebrity guests also scheduled to attend New Orleans Comic Con are Adam Baldwin, Mary McDonnell, James Marsters, Michael Biehn, WWE® Diva Kelly Kelly™ and WWE® Superstar Zack Ryder™. The event, produced by Wizard World, Inc. (WIZD.PK) will bring together thousands of fans of all ages and dozens of celebrities and industry professionals to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, comics, toys, video gaming, television, sci-fi, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more.

There has been online debate the last few days as to how serious the “Mariehamn in 2016″ Worldcon bid is. The person behind the bid, Eemeli Aro, has now stated, “[T]he primary purpose of this effort is indeed to have fun. In other words, if we end up on the ballot, and win, we’ll actually follow through, to the best of our ability.”

Aro is allowing for the possibility of an extraordinary situation like the one that led to a hoax bid for Westercon turning serious earlier this year. In other words, Kansas City has nothing to worry about unless it really, really screws up, and I won’t list Mariehamn as one of the serious contenders in the future.

Stevens Point Paranormal researchers, J. R. Turner – author of the Stark Knight series, artists: Annette Renee www.dragonmar.com and Peggy McDowellhttp://www.jesterstudio.com‘ ‘Inanna’ will do Tarot readings (don’t miss Dalek Sec’s reading) (humans can have readings later in the day), “Jediism”– learn about the real religion practiced by modern Jedi, Ray Norton - is full of tales of convention mishaps and history, Laura Nieland will enhance the event with her music, NEWFOD charity auction.

Vendors: Book Isle Paperback Exchange (used & new books), Wayne’s World with his intergalactic collection of items, ChAdam Games has board games and much more. They are also our guest auctioneers. T-Shirt Underground – doing specialty shirts while you wait. Heavenly Host Productions with t-shirts, jewelry, and misc. Heavenly Host ProductionsJewelry, fantasy items, t-shirts. Read more

NEW YORK and NEW ORLEANS, December 5, 2011 – William Shatner, who has starred in popular television series and movies for more than five decades, will attend 2012 Wizard World New Orleans Comic Con, it was announced today. Shatner, whose most well-known credits include lead roles in “Star Trek,” “T.J. Hooker” and “Boston Legal,” will appear on Saturday, January 28, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

Instantly recognizable to several generations of cult TV fans as the square-jawed Capt. James T. Kirk, commander of the starship USS Enterprise, Shatner went on to star in several feature films in the “Star Trek” franchise’s revival in the 1980′s. He also won two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award for his portrayal of attorney Denny Crane in the television dramas “The Practice” and its spin-off “Boston Legal,” and currently hosts the edgy, off-beat Biography channel original talk show “Shatner’s Raw Nerve.”

“William Shatner is a television and movie icon to the highest degree,” said John Macaluso, Wizard World Board of Directors. “He has entertained millions of fans over the last half-century, and Wizard World New Orleans Comic Con attendees are ecstatic to have the chance to meet him in person.”

Shatner joins a list of standout guests that includes Adam Baldwin, Mary McDonnell, James Marsters, Michael Biehn, WWE® Diva Kelly Kelly™ and WWE® Superstar Zack Ryder™. The event, produced by Wizard World, Inc. (WIZD.PK) will bring together thousands of fans of all ages and dozens of celebrities and industry professionals to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, comics, toys, video gaming, television, sci-fi, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more.

Children and adult attendees are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite villain, superhero or pop culture personality for the chance to win special prizes in costume contests. Event-goers may also try their hand interactive product exhibits and shop for collectible comics, movie and television memorabilia, toys and games at scores of dealer booths.

New Orleans Comic Con is the first stop on Wizard World’s 2012 North American tour. Hours are Saturday, January 28, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.; and Sunday, January 29, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tickets are available in advance online at http://www.wizardworldcomiccon.com/neworleans.html at a savings over tickets purchased at the door. Advance adult single-day tickets are priced at $25 ($30 on site); weekend all-session tickets are $40 ($45 on site), and tickets are free for children age 10 and under when accompanied by a paid adult (limit two children per adult). VIP packages with special entry and exclusive items are also available on a limited basis.

About Wizard World:
Wizard World produces Comic Cons and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate graphic novels, comic books, movies, TV shows, gaming, technology, toys and social networking. The events often feature celebrities from movies and TV, artists and writers, and events such as premieres, gaming tournaments, panels, and costume contests. Wizard World also produces Wizard World Digital, an online publication covering new and upcoming products and talents in the pop culture world, and is distributed on a weekly basis to online and iPad users worldwide.

There are few things as exciting to me as a new con. So, it was with great regret that I was forced to miss last year’s Amazing Arizona Comic-Con (AACC). That being said, I won’t make that mistake again and am excitedly counting down the days to this year’s AACC January 6th-8th in Mesa, AZ. In anticipation of this upcoming show, I had the pleasure of interviewing one of the masterminds behind the show, Jimmy Jay of Jay Company Comics and Amazing Arizona Comic-Con. Please read on for some of the exciting details of this show: Read more

Two new Worldcon bids were announced at Smofcon’s Fannish Inquisition session: one for a return to Montréal in 2019, and one for Mariehamn, Finland in 2016. Neither appears to have an online presence yet.Update 12/4:Mariehamn now has a Web site.

All these bids made presentations at Smofcon except for NYC (which has previously stated an intention to hold off campaigning until 2013) and New Orleans (which was still assembling a committee at last report).

*Unless you count the hoax Boston for Christmas 2020 bid, which also made a presentation at Smofcon.

Word is just in from Amsterdam that next year’s edition of Smofcon, the pre-eminent convention for con-runners, will be in Philadelphia, November 30th-December 2nd. The theme is “Building a Winning Team: The Right Player for the Right Position”. For more information, see the Smofcon 30 Web site or its Facebook page.

Anime-ZAP is moving one week earlier and changing hotels. If you have reservations, it’s time to rebook, fast!

Here is their press release:

Anime-ZAP! 2012 has announced that the convention has moved one week earlier, and to a new location. The convention will now be held at the Four Points Hotel in Downtown Peoria from January 7-8, 2012. The two-day winter Illinois anime convention will feature the same events including a cosplay masquerade, a formal ball, a rave dance, video game tournaments, workshops, and several panels.

“Our previous hotel space is being closed for renovations through all of 2012,” said organizer Ryan Kopf. “We want attendees to be right by the action, so we’ve had to find a new hotel.”Read more

NASHVILLE, TN - Panel applications for the Middle Tennessee Anime Convention’s April 2012 event MTAC Omega are now available on the convention’s website (http://mtac.net/?n=panel_form)

MTAC is looking for content falling under Art, Costuming, Gaming, Japanese Culture, Music, Otaku, and Adult. Upon application submission, MTAC will send an email to the applicant confirming submission. An approval or disapproval email will come closer to the convention, as well as any necessary information.

Compensation Presenter badges will be issued only to those applicants approved for presenting three or more panels. Questions and ideas can be sent to panels@mtac.net.

The final day for panel applications will be February 25, 2012.

ABOUT MTAC:

Based in Nashville, Tennessee, the Middle Tennessee Anime Convention is a non-profit corporation currently producing its twelfth annual convention. MTAC produces events related to Anime, Manga & relevant Popular Arts, providing enthusiasts and the public at large with a forum for patronage and education thereof.

MTAC Omega is themed around surviving the end of the world, as per the popular myth of its occurrence in 2012, and how post-apocalyptic settings are prevalent in anime, manga and Japanese popular culture.

DCI, Inc. is the company which runs Dragon*Con. (While most fan-run conventions are backed by nonprofit organizations, D*C isn’t completely unique in having a for-profit entity behind it.) Kramer has not been directly involved in running the convention for many years, but retains 34% ownership of DCI, and alleges that other shareholders and the treasurer have been cooking the books by, among other things, undercounting attendance. (Which, in this era of some cons trying to distinguish themselves by nothing other than bragging about their attendee count, really would make D*C unique, if it were true.)

With Star Wars Celebration VI less than 9 months away, now is the time to give feedback on what you’d like to see in Orlando this August. With the expansion of popularity of The Clone Wars, the Star Wars universe is bigger than ever, thus making programming and guest choices larger than ever. Although I enjoy The Clone Wars, and watch it regularly, my preferences on the survey are all about Original Trilogy (OT) and collecting panels. Visit www.starwarscelebration.com to voice your opinion on CVI.

Although December is generally the slowest month for cons, you wouldn’t know it if you are following www.nukethefridge.com and their guest list for the December 10th show. Thus far, guests include Stan Lee, Mike Tyson, Lou Ferrigno, Chris Gore, Ernie Hudson, Antonio Sabato Jr., Sarah Underwood, Micky Dolenz and many more. On top of the guests, the show also guarantees a large group of vendors as it is being held at Frank and Son Collectible Show. Also, don’t forget the cosplayers! With the 501st, Saber Guild, and Mandalorian Mercs in the house, picture-taking opportunities will be everywhere. Almost as exciting as the guests, cosplayers and vendors is the fact that parking and show are free! The Nuke the Fridge Con is sure to be a fun day for the whole family, so make sure to get there early (the place will be packed!). Anyone within a couple hours of City of Industry, CA needs to make sure to check this show out. If you can’t make it to the show, follow the action on Twitter by searching #NTFCon or just follow me (@The_Con_Fluence).